108. If you want to go, then we're going together!

108. If you want to go, then we're going together!

"Haa~" Justin unconsciously sighed when he saw the empty chair near him.

While wondering his mind, "Mgh?" Justin let out a strange voice. His cheek was poked with the back of chopsticks from beside him. He turned to his side, watching the culprit behind his weird voice.

What he saw was a cute auburn-haired bob hairstyle girl. His childhood girl…friend. Mina cheekily smiled at him. "Are you thinking about them again?" she asked.

Hearing that, Justin sighed again. "Yea," he nodded. Then he turned to the other side. On Lunch break, there are usually four people gathered alongside him. But now, there's only him and Mina.

(it's been a week since Spifer suddenly asked for leave from school. When the teacher explained that day, I was surprised because the school permitted something like that. I thought he must have dire circumstances. However, three days after that, I was utterly shocked)

(The teachers gave us other information. Even Priscilla asked for leave from school!) Justin knew Priscilla sometimes played truant for a day or two but never got scolded. Yet asking formally for leave like this was the first time (and it's already a few days since then…), Justin thought before sighing again.

"It's okay. It wasn't her first time missing like this. So don't worry about it!" Mina said as she softly tapped Justin's back to cheer him up. But…

"Yeah," Justin replied shortly. He restarted eating before falling into a daze again after two bites.

"Haa~" Mina watched Justin's weak reaction and sighed lightly. She turned her eyes away from him and then accidentally stared at the document left on the teacher's table in front of the class.

(!!) an idea struck her mind, or more like she suddenly remembered her job. She was tasked with sending materials and homework for Priscilla by the teacher. Mina was a cheerful and energetic girl who was liked by everyone. It was the same with the teacher and staff. She also often helps anyone in need. And she is also one of the two students who were close with Priscilla Bella, so no wonder the teacher asked her to do this task.

"If she didn't come to school, why don't we visit her instead?" Mina suggested.

"Eh?" Justin let out a stupid voice. He thought he had just heard something strange from Mina.

"Let's go and see her," Mina said again without minding Justin's stupid face.

***

"Oh, come on! Cheer up~ she's going to be okay," Mina said on the way home from Priscilla's house.

"Yea," Justin replied with a slight nod and didn't say anything more. When they arrived, there was no one to be seen. She was not at home the same as her family. So, they don't have any other choice except to leave.

Mina could see Justin become even more depressed. Well, she felt a bit guilty as she was the one who suggested visiting Priscilla, who gave him false hope, but there's nothing Mina could do about it. She didn't have the slightest thought that Priscilla wouldn't be there. So she didn't think far ahead when she suggested that. She just wanted Justin to be happy.

(Haa~) Mina sighed inwardly. One of the very few times she was dejected (What am I doing…), she peeked at Justin for a moment.

(When will he realize it...) she thought. The farthest memory she could remember is that Justin was always by her side. She was sure that he would always be by her side even in the future. From how close relationships their family is. She knew it was only a matter of time before she ended up with Justin.

They said girls mature faster than boys, and she wasn't different from that. When they became middle schoolers, Mina had already started to notice Justin. She also knew how he was chubby at the moment but had a quite good look when he lost fat.

His personality also wasn't a problem. If it was terrible, their relationship would have been estranged long ago. It was quite a shock for Mina when he suddenly idolized the Student Council's President, yet it was also acceptable. Justin also didn't take Mina's presence for granted, which is another plus. Still, when Justin didn't realize it. At least Mina realized how Justin was interested in her.

Mina's only problem is that unlike her, Justin hasn't started to like girls, or more like he hasn't realized how he felt about the girls around him.

And No, it wasn't his preference problem just from how he started idolizing Kate Bentley. Mina understood it was only a matter of time before she became conscious of the opposite sex. Then without her knowledge, Justin suddenly gets closer to Priscilla Bella. She was an aloof student popular with her cold personality.

From what she heard, Justin saved her from thugs, just like how many clichés started. What Mina can see from her side of their relationship is that Justin only sees Priscilla Bella as a friend, and Priscilla is also not much different. It might be because of how Justin is Prez's hardcore fan that Priscilla didn't feel he was dangerous. But it was only till this day. Their future was so far from what Mina could imagine after that.

"Mm?" Mina stopped as she saw a familiar person on their way back from Priscilla's house. "Justin," she called softly before pulling his clothes.

Justin was slightly surprised and annoyed because Mina suddenly pulled him and almost made him fall. However, in a fraction of a second, his annoying feelings disappeared. At least Justin has some shame. He was grateful to Mina to the point where he wouldn't object to being hit by her hundreds of times.

"What happened?" Justin asked. He saw Mina suddenly stop and stare at one of the many back alleys.

"I think I saw Priscilla over there," she said, still not looking away from that back alley.

"What!? Really! where?" Justin exclaimed. He usually wouldn't like this. Even Justin himself knew that he was strange right now, yet he couldn't stop it since Priscilla had gone from school. He had this bad feeling inside him, unlike the previous times when she was gone. He couldn't explain it well. It was like an instinct or something similar he could feel something horrible was about to happen.

Knowing something like that, something bad was going to happen to his friend Justin just couldn't stand still. He couldn't calm down unless he saw her in person.

"There," Mina pointed into the darkness of the back alley. There's no such thing as a 100% safe city or place. Even the most advanced city has something behind its light. Instead, the bigger the light, the bigger the shadow is.

So what ordinary people should do isn't to learn how to defend themselves when in danger but to prevent themselves from being in danger. And entering a dark back alley like that was a foolish move to put oneself in danger.

Of course, Justin fully understands it. However, now that he has a clue about Priscilla's whereabouts and it is in a place far from the crowd's eyes. It made him believe in his instinct more and more. That's why he wouldn't give it up.

"Wait here," He said to Mina. There's no way he's taking Mina to a dangerous place.

"No!" Mina immediately refused to listen. "If you want to go, then we're going together!" She said resolutely.

"Mina…" Justin called while thinking about how to make her stay.

"It's useless," Mina replied. "It's whether we both stay, or we both go" Her title as his childhood friend wasn't a fake. She knew what Justin was thinking about like the back of her hands.

"Haa~" Justin sighed. Indeed, Mina, almost every time, yields to him when they're in an argument. However, Justin also knew that sometimes Mina also becomes so hardheaded that she wouldn't budge no matter what he says. And this was the case.

"Okay, but we'll run with the slightest danger," Justin said, and Mina nodded.

With the sun going down by the minute, the back alley also becomes darker and darker. On their way from Priscilla's house, a street and alley, a place they weren't familiar with, Mina and Justin slowly and foolishly made their way into the back alley. They never expected this event would change their life from its core.

"Huh?" Justin let out a strange voice. He felt he had just bypassed something like a wall of a thin film.

"Wha!?" Mina was surprised by Justin. It was cold and creepy. She became nervous, and Justin's voice really shocked her.

Just when he wanted to turn to Mina and explain what he felt. "It…" his mouth was struck by the silence. He gasped at the scene he saw.

It was a scene of Priscilla Bella slicing the throat of someone else.